Sacrifices
by thecoconutcyclone
Summary: Take the ramblings of one insane author, add a wacky pairing, toss in the Silver Millenium, blend in a dash of yuri, bake for one hour at 375 degrees and you get...well, you tell me. PG-13 for now, rating may change with additional chapters. Part IV up
1. Part I

Note: Alright this is the side story that I mentioned at the end of Memories

Note: Alright this is the side story that I mentioned at the end of Memories. As such this is a Yuri fic. That's right y-u-r-i so if that's not your thing hit the back button right now. Also you should be aware that since this is the back-story to Memories, this fic features the pairing from that work. So once again if that's not your thing hit the back button. 

This is going to be a long one. Right now I see it in at least three parts and those will be lengthy, at least compared to my usual stuff. I want to play around with a few ideas as well as delve into the romance between these characters in their past lives. The first part will set the scene, it won't go too heavily into the romance bit or not till the end at least.

Kay, one more thing and this endless authors note will come to a close. This is my twisted version of the silver millenium. As such it will not wholly fit into either the anime or manga time lines. I took what I liked from each along with some creative editing and made my own world. So purists be gone. You will not like this, I assure you, if you're overly anal about timelines and such. (This is my happening baby and it freaks me out!) Call it an alternate universe; call it a devastating work of mind numbing brilliance, call it crap, whatever, just remember that you have been thoroughly warned!

Sacrifices

By: thecoconutcyclone

Queen Serenity paced across her chambers. She knew what was coming, having such a deep connection with her Senshi, she knew the truth the instant they had fallen. However, the situation wasn't wholly real to her until she heard the news from the mouth of another. Until then she could fool herself and pretend that her friends were still among the living. 

Her heart sank as she heard the door to her chambers being opened. "Your majesty?" A weak voice asked.

With a sigh Serenity bowed to fate. "I'm in here Luna. What word from the battle?"

"We've won the day majesty, but…" The guardian cat let out a sigh of her own. "Many were injured; Neptune is in the worst shape. We lost several of the guard, and three Senshi."

Serenity nodded. "Jupiter, Uranus, and Earth. I know Luna, I've known since it happened. I felt them slip away…" The Queen choked back a sob. Now was not the time. She could grieve for her friends later; the future of the kingdom was what was important now.

"Were the bodies recovered?"

"Yes, Venus arranged for them to be brought back to the palace."

"Good, have them prepared for a state burial, full honors. Have the families been notified?"

"Not yet."

"Very well then, I'll take care of that. I think they deserve to hear it from me." Serenity shook her head. "Jupiter and Uranus will have to begin their training sooner than expected."

"The poor princesses to have lost their mothers. Jupiter being the most unfortunate of the two, having already lost her father…" Luna bowed her head, "And what will we do about Earth? With no female air, it seems the line of the Earth Senshi has died along with its guardian."

"Yes, it appears that my daughter will have to make due with only three personal guardians in her court."

"Is that wise majesty? Couldn't we re-assign one of the outer soldiers to palace duty?'

"Perhaps, if there is a need for additional security in the future, but I will not disrupt the girls' lives any further this day. Two of them have lost their mothers, Pluto just recently assumed her duties and elder Neptune is injured. No, the outer soldiers will remain as they are for now." Serenity smiled sadly at her friend and advisor. "Come, we have work to do."

***

Eleven Years Later

Electricity flowed through her fingertips. The hunt was going at a slower pace than usual. If she had had things her way, she would have lobed a few blasts at the creature and then asked the questions. Yet Neptune felt that they needed to discern the creature's target first, and since the aqua mirror was withholding the information from it's current master they had to do things this way. Now all she could do is watch and wait for the creature to reveal it's intentions.

Somehow the blasted thing had managed to slip on to the planet. Usually they were discovered by the mages before they even entered the atmosphere, but recently these creatures were becoming harder to detect by conventional means. The only reason why they had discovered this one so easily was that the Senshi were already on Saturn for a diplomatic mission. Or at least that was what the official reports would say. In reality, the soldiers of the outer system, well most of them that is, had been sent to the planet to check on its security. It appeared that it wasn't good enough. The creature had been able to infiltrate the planet's atmosphere far too easily. Tensions between the Moon Kingdom and those that wished for its downfall were heating up, with more of these creatures appearing with each attack. The young soldier growled at the thought of anyone who wished ruin upon her kingdom and it's sovereign. 

Her train of thought was abruptly derailed as she noticed that the creature had stopped. A quick glance at her surroundings immediately revealed to the Senshi the creature's target. She was standing a few yards from the shrine of Saturn, the sleeping Senshi, who had been laid to rest not long after assuming her powers to wait for a time when she was needed. It looked as if the creature wanted to give the Soldier of Death and Rebirth an early wake up call. She couldn't help but shake her head at the thought. Didn't the fools know that Saturn could only be awakened by the Senshi themselves? "These people never do their homework."

"Jupiter…"a voice hissed in her ear. "Shut up and pay attention." Her companion, a tall blonde, growled and then pointed over towards the rear of the shrine. "Once I'm there I'll draw my sword. When you see it flash, strike."

"One monster on flambé coming up Uranus," she replied. The blonde smirked at the comment and then darted into the shadows. 

Jupiter powered up her attack as she watched Uranus creep into position. From the corner of her eye she saw a blur of aqua land on a near by rooftop. It looked like Neptune realized Uranus' plan without having to be told as usual. Those two were annoying that way. She shook her head; she needed to focus now. She allowed the flow of electricity to strengthen. Neptune flashed her talisman once she was in position. 

The energy in her hand was taking shape now that it was almost time to strike. The creature stood before the shrine gathering energy for it's own attack, completely oblivious the danger that was about to befall it. Then she saw the flash of Uranus' sword and for a moment the entire universe condensed into the palm of her hand. Then just as quickly the moment passed and she hurled her attack at the creature.

The ball of electricity hit it square in the back, stunning it. As the creature bellowed in pain, a golden blur charged forward and cut it in half before it could muster up a defense. The creature fell to the ground with barely a whimper. 

Uranus re-sheathed her sword. "That was relatively easy," She sighed, and then pulled her right arm towards her body. Jupiter quickly joined her in front of the shrine.

"Told ya this one wouldn't be too difficult to manage." She poked at the carcass with her boot. "Is it just me or are these things getting uglier?"

"Not that I've ever found them attractive, but I believe you're right Jupiter." Neptune chimed as she made her way towards the pair. Her brow furrowed as she noticed that Uranus was clutching her right arm to her chest. "Uranus are you hurt?"

"The damn thing must have caught my arm on the way down…it's nothing."

Neptune glided over to her and began to examine the wound. "This is going to require stitches." She reached up and caressed the taller woman's cheek. "You need to be more careful, you would not want anything to happen to that pretty face of yours. The entire female population of Uranus would be devastated if their favorite monarch's good looks were marred." 

Uranus laughed, and then smiled down at her shorter companion. "You know there's only one woman whose feelings mean anything to me."

Neptune mock pouted. "Who is this mystery woman? Does this mean that I do not have a chance?" Uranus simply shook her head and pulled Neptune closer with her good arm.

At this point, Jupiter, who had been standing idly by while her two companions practiced their old routine, decided to make a hasty exit. "I'll see you two back at the palace." The duo, too involved with one another for a proper reply, barely nodded in response.

Jupiter, deciding to forgo the crowded streets between her position and Saturn's royal palace, leapt on to a nearby rooftop. She glanced back towards her companions. De-transformed, the Princesses of Neptune and Uranus began to make their own way home. She couldn't help but sigh as she watched her friends. While she was happy that they had found one another, Jupiter couldn't help but be jealous of their bond. She lingered on the rooftop for a few moments more and then set off towards the palace.

When she arrived, she quickly de-transformed and went to her rooms. She didn't even bother to turn on the lights as she breezed through the sitting room and into the bedroom. As per custom, Castle Titan, like the royal palace of each planet, contained quarters for each Senshi, based on the design of those of the Imperial Palace on the Moon. While Jupiter always found the rooms beautiful, she never really felt at home when she was away from her adopted home on Uranus. After her mother passed away, leaving her an orphan, the King of Uranus took her in and raised her alongside his own daughter. A distant relative took care of things on Jupiter for her. As far as the planet's government went, she was little more than a figurehead, but she didn't mind. Jupiter saw herself more as a warrior than royalty, and she had had a happy childhood on Uranus. 

She brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face and flopped down on the room's massive bed. "I think a nap is in order before dinner."

"Don't tell me that the fight today wore you out." A voice called from the shadows.

"You'd think that the Guardian of Time would know better than to show up late for a battle," She replied, not moving from her position on the bed. She smiled as she heard soft footsteps making their way across the room. She glanced up just in time to see Sailor Pluto emerge from the shadows. Pluto, like Uranus and Neptune, had been one of Jupiter's closest friends, for as long as she could remember. The older woman had become a Senshi before any of them, and Jupiter had a great deal of respect for her. However, she still enjoyed teasing the stoic Senshi whenever an opportunity to do so presented itself.

"I had other duties to attend to that kept me off planet, besides I didn't feel that I was needed." Pluto answered, walking over towards the bed. 

"Excuses, excuses. Well, if you didn't think you would be needed, then why are you here now?" 

"I'm here on the Queen's behalf. I shouldn't have to say more than that."

Jupiter nodded, "Anything that I can help you with?"

"Yes, actually. You can tell me where Uranus is."

"She was injured in the fight so she and Neptune had to take their time returning to the palace…"

"Injured? How badly?" Pluto began to pace the room. "I did not see this coming… We need Uranus in top form in order to ensure the mission's success."

Jupiter rose and walked over towards her pacing companion. It wasn't everyday that one would see Sailor Pluto in such a state. "Maybe you should tell me about this mission."

Pluto nodded. "Queen Serenity has increased diplomatic relations between the Earth and the Moon. She's trying to heal the damage that was caused when the last Earth Senshi passed away while in service to her majesty. However, tensions between the Moon and Earth are growing, and there are other factions in the universe that would like to see the downfall of both kingdoms. The Queen believes that these factions will strike soon."

"That's nothing new. Many wish to see our kingdom fall."

"True, however, the Queen believes that the threat is more serious now than ever. And she also believes that in order to start a war between the two kingdoms the enemy will strike at the very heart of each. For the Earth that would mean an attack on the young Prince Endymon, and for the moon…"

Jupiter clenched her fist, "the Princess…"

"Exactly. While the three Inner Senshi are fully capable of performing their duty, the Queen feels that extra measures should be taken in order to assure the Princess' safety. Uranus was to accompany me back to the Moon where she would assume the guise of a member of the imperial guard. Since the Outer Senshi have not been seen on the Moon in years, the Queen felt that Uranus could accomplish this without fear of being recognized. So disguised, she could observe the Princess undetected and step in and aid the Inner Senshi in her defense if needed. " 

"But that could take months, years even. She and Neptune hardly see each other as is…to put her on the Moon, the separation would crush them both."

Pluto sighed. "I know that, but sacrifices have to be made. It's pointless to discuss this any way since she is injured. The mission will have to be scrapped."

Jupiter walked over towards the bedroom's massive window, which overlooked the palace gardens. She knew that Uranus' injuries weren't that severe. Taking in account a Senshi's accelerated healing abilities; Uranus' arm would be fine by the time she reached the Moon. But how would her spirit fare so far from Neptune? And how would Neptune feel with her partner on the Moon? It was with only the best interests of the women that Jupiter considered sisters in her heart that the young Senshi did what she did next.

"Who said that you had to use Uranus?" 

***

Two Months Later

"Venus love me chain!" Sailor Venus cried as she sent a powered down version of her attack towards the new Captain of the Imperial Guard. The young woman had only assumed the position of Captain a little over a month ago, however she fought better than any other guardsman that Venus had ever seen. There was something about the situation that just didn't feel right to the leader of the Inner Senshi. The old captain had been a fine warrior, whom had never once let the kingdom down in battle. _Why was he replaced so suddenly? And who was this woman to replace him?_ Venus knew little of the woman's background other than she had come from one of the outer planets, which did not do much to diminish her lack of trust in the new captain. The people of the inner and outer regions of the solar system hardly ever mixed, and it was an unspoken custom that one did not trust someone from outside their region of the kingdom. _Could this woman be a threat to the Princess?_

Venus shook her head and focused her attention back on her opponent. She sent another volley of chains at her. The Captain easily rolled clear of the attack. Venus grimaced; there was something about the woman that she simply didn't trust. She was far too good to be an ordinary member of the guard. "Hey, I thought you said no magic." The Captain cried while dodging the chains.

"I lied. Do you think the enemy will honor such bargains?"

"No, I suppose not."

Venus sighed and relaxed her stance. "I think that's enough for today Captain. I have a meeting with the Queen soon…" She wrinkled her nose, "and I'd rather not smell like this when I go."

The Captain smiled. She gave a brief salute and then left the training grounds. She quickly made her way through the palace grounds towards her own meeting place. For the past month she and Pluto had met in a forgotten section of the palace gardens at the same time every evening. Today, however, due to her training session with Venus, she was late. 

When she finally arrived she noticed that Pluto appeared quite angry. Though most people wouldn't be able to tell. Pluto was rather stoic by nature, yet the Captain had come to know the Guardian of Time quite well in these past two months, and she could tell that she was very angry about something. Pluto's back was to her when she stepped into the small clearing that they used as a meeting place. "Don't tell me you're angry because I'm late, it was Venus' fault. I swear that woman has it out for me…"

Pluto turned and focused an icy glare on her. "No Jupiter I'm not angry because you're late, I just arrived myself."

"What, were you meeting with the Queen or something?"

"No, there was a disturbance around one of the moons of Neptune and my assistance was required."

Jupiter paled at the statement. "Uranus, Neptune, are they alright?"

Pluto nodded. "They're fine. Remarkably well in fact, especially Uranus." Jupiter gulped, it appeared that Pluto had discovered her deception. "You lied to me about her condition. You deliberately mislead not only me but the Queen as well. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of my friends. Do you realize how much they would have suffered if Uranus had come here instead of me? Do you even care?"

Pluto's eyes seemed to flare with rage. "Of course I care."

"Then try to understand my actions, or at least the motives behind them. All I wished to do was protect both my friends and my Princess."

Pluto sighed. "I realize that," She walked over and placed a hand on Jupiter's shoulder. "But can you understand the need for honesty between us? If we can not trust one another then we can not properly protect the Princess. And you can't protect everyone, no matter how strong you are, or how much you want to. While I admire the fact that you wish to shield others from harm, you must realize that some sacrifices must be made for the good of us all."

Jupiter nodded. She did feel bad for lying to Pluto. She looked down at her feet, unable to meet Pluto's eyes any longer. While she believed that she had done the right thing in coming to the Moon in Uranus' stead, she was ashamed of having to lie to get there. 

"Look Pluto I…" She began. However, by the time she began to speak, Pluto was already gone. For a long time afterwards she remained in the garden, considering what Pluto had said. Finally, she decided that the next time she saw Pluto that she would apologize for her deceit, but not for coming here. Hopefully, Pluto would accept at least that much.

When Jupiter started back across the palace grounds towards her quarters, it was well in to the evening. Knowing that she would need some time to unwind before she could rest, she decided to sneak off to the kitchens to participate in one of her favorite pastimes, cooking. While most royalty wouldn't know a whisk from a potato peeler, Jupiter was quite the cook. She had spent a great deal of her childhood watching the royal chefs prepare their various masterpieces for state occasions. Later in her life, she found that the simple act of preparing a meal could soothe her after the worst of battles. It was a rare indulgence that she savored whenever she possibly could.

As she crept in to the palace's main kitchen, she was struck with its size. While the kitchen in her own home was far larger than most, this place was huge. Not to mention spotless. It was clear that the people here took pride in their workplace. Row after row of highly polished metal doors shined in the dim light, leading to pantries and freezers full of food. She ran her hand across one of the countertops, reveling in the feel of the cool metal on her skin. Yes, this was just the thing to help her unwind.

Once she had acquainted herself with the general layout of the kitchen, and had gathered some ingredients, Jupiter settled down to work. Before long the air was filled with the sweet aroma of fresh pastries. After a while she had become so involved in her cooking, that she failed to notice when a blonde head poked it's way in to the room.

"I thought I smelled something baking!" A voice called out triumphantly. 

Jupiter looked up from her mixing bowl just in time to see an odangoed girl of about thirteen enter the kitchen. Even though she had never met the girl in person, Jupiter knew her identity instantly. "Your majesty," she replied trying her best to bow while still keeping a firm hold on the mixing bowl. "I'm terribly sorry if I have disturbed you."

The Princess waved the comment off. "You didn't disturb me at all. I couldn't sleep. I smelled your cooking, but then I thought that it was way too late for the chefs to be working. I wondered who could be making something this late that smelled so delicious, so I decided to investigate…and here I am."

Jupiter couldn't help but smile at the Princess' bubbly reply. "Would you like to try one of these?" She asked holding out a tray of pastries.

"Really?"

Jupiter nodded. "Of course, have as many as you like." With that the Princess practically flew across the kitchen to the counter where Jupiter and the pastries were.

After inhaling a few of the smaller ones the Princess mumbled, "These are terrific. You know I've never met a guardsmen who could cook before."

"Does it surprise you that much Highness?"

The Princess glanced sheepishly at Jupiter and picked up another treat. "Well, it's just that I thought that all the guard had time to do other than fight, is well, train to fight. It's all I've ever known them to do. I guess I never thought about them doing anything else. A soldier fights and that's it. "

"Let me assure you majesty, that while a soldier's main job is indeed to fight, and to kill if necessary, they are also people like everyone else. Take your Senshi for example, I understand that in her downtime Mars is a poet, Mercury a scholar, and Venus enjoys the theatre when she's not hounding the guard. They are each soldiers but they are each their own person apart from their duty as well, just like your guardsmen."

The Princess smiled. "I hadn't thought of things that way."

"Many times it takes the assistance of another to help us see our world from a different perspective." A new voice added. Jupiter nearly dropped her mixing bowl once she recognized the voice's owner. She struggled to quickly regain her composure as the Queen herself entered the kitchen. 

With unparalleled grace, the Queen made her way to the counter. Jupiter began a shaky bow, however the Queen waved her off. "No need for formality tonight Captain." The Queen turned towards her daughter; "You should be in bed."

The Princess looked down at the counter. "I know, but everything smelt so delicious that I just couldn't resist…"

Serenity couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's spirit. "It's alright," she leaned over and whispered. "In fact the aroma of the Captain's cooking is what drew me here as well." She reached out and carefully selected a pastry from the tray. She examined it for a moment before taking a small bite. The Princess meanwhile shoved yet another pastry into her mouth whole. 

The Queen raised an elegant eyebrow at the sight of her daughter wolfing down the desert, but decided to let the girl have her fun for a while longer. "These are quite good Captain. You'll have to give my chefs the recipe."

"Yes majesty." Jupiter stuttered, still in shock from being this close to the Queen.

After a short time the Queen turned to her daughter. "Serenity, you should be getting to bed now. The ambassadors from the allied planets are arriving tomorrow and you will have a long day ahead of you once morning comes."

"But Mother those people are so boring. Why do I have to meet with them anyway?"

"Because one day you will rule them. Now go."

The young princess sighed and then turned to Jupiter. "Goodnight Captain, thank you for the pastries."

Jupiter smiled. "You are quite welcome Highness." 

After the Princess was gone the Queen rose and closed the kitchen door. "Jupiter, it is good to have you here," she said, finally being able to speak freely. "I'll admit that I was less than pleased with the circumstances surrounding your presence in court, however I believe things will work out for the best. You seem to be quite capable of performing your assigned duties."

"Thank you Majesty."

"Now then, will you grant me a small request Jupiter?"

"Of course majesty." Jupiter replied with a fervent nod of her head.

The Queen smiled at her Senshi's enthusiasm. "Will you tell me of Neptune and Uranus? I have not seen them in so long. I receive reports on their well being from Pluto, but I'd like to know a bit more about them personally." 

Jupiter told the Queen all that she could about Uranus and Neptune. Some of it came as quite a surprise to the Queen, yet all was taken to heart as treasured information. Then the pair began to discuss all manner of topics, from pastry recipes to the state of politics on the Earth. After some time the Queen rose yet again. "Thank you Jupiter, it is not often that I allow myself the time to simply sit and talk with a friend."

"A friend Majesty?"

"Yes child, the Senshi are my soldiers, but you girls are also very important to me." She patted Jupiter on the shoulder. "Now, I must retire. Like my daughter, I too have a long day ahead of me, and I need to rest."

***

Jupiter sighed and brushed an imaginary wrinkle from the sleeve of her uniform coat. She stood in a corner of the grand ballroom watching the colorfully dressed crowd as they whirled across the marble floor. She would be infinitely grateful to the gods when this ball came to a close. She had always hated these things back home and the parties there were not even half the scale of this event. "At least I'm not giving a tour," Jupiter sighed. She was bored, she was tired, and she wished with every fiber of her being for this hellish week to come to a close.

The week since her fight with Pluto had passed by in a blur of official functions. She had yet to see Pluto and thus had not been able to apologize to her for the fight. Things were so hectic around the palace that Jupiter had had to forgo her daily meetings with Pluto so that she could properly orchestrate palace security. With so many outsiders on the grounds, the Queen did not wish to take any chances. On top of the fact that she still felt guilty over her fight with Pluto, Jupiter had barely gotten a moment's rest in the past few days. Jupiter was required to attend every meeting, and cater to every whim of the visiting bureaucrats, which meant everything from tours of the palace grounds to listening to their insipid lectures about how they felt the kingdom should be properly run. Needless to say, she was not disappointed in the least when she was told that the planetary delegates would be leaving in the morning. _Maybe then I can talk to Pluto…_

She was pulled from her thoughts as a delicate hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to face the Princess of Mercury. "Sorry to disturb you Captain, but there is someone who wishes to speak with you." Jupiter nodded and followed the shorter woman across the crowded room. Eventually Mercury led her to a small corner of the room where several delegates had gathered.

Jupiter sighed. It appeared that she was going to have to give yet another snobbish courtier a tour of the grounds. Mercury turned to her. "Wait here a moment Captain and I'll get the Ambassador for you."

Ambassador… Jupiter felt a headache coming on. She turned towards a nearby window. Looking out into space, she wondered what Uranus and Neptune were doing at this moment. "Those two owe me for this," she grumbled. 

"Captain, I'd like to introduce you to Setsuna Meioh, the Plutonian Ambassador." Mercury said upon returning. Jupiter turned to face Mercury and the ambassador, prepared to meet yet another pompous courtier. However, once she saw the ambassador her jaw dropped. There standing next to Mercury, looking like a goddess, was Pluto.

"It's a pleasure Captain." Pluto said extending her hand. It took Jupiter a moment to come to her senses, but she was eventually able to recover from her shock long enough to take Pluto's hand in her own and bring it to her lips.

"The pleasure is mine milady." Jupiter couldn't be sure, but she could almost swear that a slight blush crossed Pluto's face as she withdrew her hand. "I did not know that there would be delegates from the outer regions in attendance tonight."

"Oh, Ambassador Meioh is not here as part of the conference," Mercury answered. "She is one of the Queen's advisors. She drops by the palace from time to time."

Pluto nodded. "Yes, I just happened to be in the area, and the Queen thought it prudent for me to make an appearance tonight."

"I see." Jupiter replied. _So Pluto does this sort of thing often. Why didn't she mention this other identity before?_ She took a moment to take a good look at Pluto. She wore a long black dress, which clung to her frame, and her long hair was piled, in a rather elaborate fashion, upon her head. This was the first time that Jupiter could remember ever seeing Pluto in her civilian form. The Senshi of Time certainly did look different out of uniform, quite lovely in fact. Jupiter shook her head. _What am I thinking?_ She turned her attention back on the conversation Mercury and Pluto were having. The three made small talk for a time, until finally Pluto inclined her head towards the dance floor. 

"Captain, I hope you will not find this request too forward of me, but would you care to dance?"

"It would be an honor." Jupiter turned to Pluto and offered her arm. The pair nodded to Mercury and then made their way across the ballroom. Once they had taken their places on the dance floor, Jupiter whispered. "What in the name of Serenity are you doing here?" 

"Well, it would appear that I am dancing with you." Pluto replied with a laugh.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."
Pluto sighed. "I appear in the palace from time to time like this in order to speak with the Queen about matters concerning the gate."
"Could you not do that as Sailor Pluto?"
"I could, however the Queen feels that it would be too much of a temptation for our enemies to attack the Gates of Time if they knew that I was away from them. So I am never seen as Sailor Pluto within these walls, in fact the only time that Pluto is seen outside of her post is when she joins the other Outer soldiers in battle. Since I can not hide the fact that I am Plutonian, I assumed the guise of my planet's ambassador. Meioh is the family name of one of my planet's oldest noble houses."
"Alright I accept that, however it still doesn't explain what you are doing here tonight."
"I needed to speak with the Queen about her decision to send the Princess on a tour of the kingdom."
Jupiter nodded. She herself had been informed of the Princess' impending journey just that morning. The Princess and her party were to leave for Venus the next day. "Do you sense that the Princess is in danger?"
"I sensed some danger concerning the journey but I do not know if it will befall the Princess or another in the party." 
    
"I see. Well, do not worry. I will be accompanying the Princess and the Inner Senshi on the journey along with a select group of the Imperial Guard. Nothing will happen to our Princess I assure you."
    
    Pluto nodded, as a look that Jupiter couldn't quite place flashed through her crimson eyes. "Just promise me that you will be careful."
    
    "Are you trying to tell me something Pluto?"
    
"Promise me."
    
"You have my word…I will be on my guard during this journey."
    
"Thank you, " Pluto sighed, relief evident in her voice. "Now, why don't we try and enjoy ourselves this evening." 
    
Jupiter nodded, but she still wondered at Pluto's words. _Was something going to happen to the Princess on this journey?_ Pluto had seemed more concerned about Jupiter herself. Could it be that she was going to be the one in danger? Jupiter sighed as she and Pluto glided across the dance floor. It did not matter. Her mission was to protect the Princess and that is what she intended to do, cryptic warnings or not.
    
Well, that's it for part one. Hopefully, I haven't put everyone to sleep with this tripe. As always thank you for your time.
    Remember thecoconutcyclone owns nothing but a few empty pizza boxes and an old copy of Paradise Lost. And apparently she hasn't been paying much attention to that, or she'd be able to tell the difference between quality work and the junk she tries to pass off as good. ;] 


	2. Part II

Part II

Jupiter had to give it to Venus; the leader of the Inner Senshi did not exaggerate when she told of the beauty of her home world. The pastoral regions surrounding the Venusian Capital, Eros, were breathtaking. The Princess and her guard were currently taking in the sights surrounding the capital. Jupiter and four of her men were riding along as accompaniment. Though Venus assured them that there was no need for the additional security, Jupiter thought it best to take precautions, considering the warning Pluto had given her. 

The group had stopped for a moment to enjoy the view from a low rise, which overlooked the capital. While her men took care of the horses, Jupiter allowed herself to enjoy the view. It really was quite peaceful here. However, her sense of peace was soon shattered as she noticed Venus approaching her, with a rather odd look on her face. _By the gods what does that woman want now? _She wondered.

"So Captain," Venus drawled. "What's the story with you and the Plutonian ambassador?" 

A sense of panic began to stir within Jupiter. _Does she know about the mission, or my true identity?_ "Pardon me, Lady Venus, but what do you mean story?"

"Oh come now Captain, you can not fool me. This is my area of expertise after all."

_Area of expertise…Venus has experience with these sort of missions? I thought she had been bound to the Princess for years now…how could she?_ Jupiter was quickly becoming confused. "I still don't grasp your meaning."

Venus rolled her eyes. "Please, Captain, stop being coy. I saw the way you and the ambassador danced the other night."

"Excuse me?"

"I sense some strong feelings there. I believe that you and the ambassador hold the possibility for something quite interesting." Venus winked, "Trust me, I am the Senshi of Love, you know."

"What?" Jupiter stuttered. "She and I? N-no…we're not, that is to say…um"

"Venus, leave the Captain alone." Mars called approaching the pair. Jupiter had never been so happy to see someone in her entire life.

"But Mars even you can not deny the way they were acting the other night. You saw them yourself. I tell you that there's something there." Venus replied.

"Yes, I did see them. They make a striking pair on the dance floor indeed. I trust your senses, yet, perhaps the Captain is not ready to hear what you have to say." Mars took Venus by the arm. "Now come, the Princess has a question about some flower or another, and I fear that if you do not come and answer it simply Mercury will go into tutor mode, and put the girl to sleep."

Jupiter shook her head as she watched the two Inner Senshi make their way towards the Princess. "Imagine, Venus thinking that Pluto and I…" She muttered to herself. "I mean we'd never. It simply would not work. She's so…and I'm…" She sighed and shook her head. She had a duty to perform and could not allow herself to be distracted by such matters. After taking a few moments more to regain her composure, Jupiter made her way back to the rest of the group.

Not long after her return, the group began to make their way back to the palace. As they drew nearer to the capital, Jupiter allowed herself to relax more and more. Perhaps Pluto had been mistaken, or maybe the attack would come on one of the other planets. For it simply did not seem likely that anything could happen in this peaceful place. Jupiter was; in fact, about to send her men on ahead of the group, so that they could get an early start on their night off, when she noticed that Mars had broken away from the group. Mercury and Venus quickly joined her. Jupiter signaled to her men to halt and take up defensive positions around the Princess, and then made her way over towards the three women.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked upon reaching them. 

"Mars senses something." Mercury offered.

"There is some heavy magic working in this area. I can feel it." Mars stated, her violet eyes narrowing in concentration. She uttered a few words that Jupiter could not understand and then closed her eyes completely. After a few moments Mars opened her eyes and pointed towards a group of hills east of their position. "It's coming from over there. Cloaking spell I believe. Someone doesn't want us to know that they are there, but they aren't smart enough to control their energy out put. I'd say we're dealing with an apprentice mage at best."

Venus nodded in agreement. "Probably some local thugs trying to make a name for themselves by attacking a royal convoy." She turned towards Jupiter. "We will handle this Captain. You and your men take the Princess back to the palace. We will join you as soon as this matter has been dealt with."

Jupiter couldn't help but remember Pluto's cryptic warning. _What if this was what she had seen through the gate? Is this situation that dangerous?_ She couldn't take any chances. Jupiter had to do something. "Perhaps it would be best if we stayed together. Surely we can send a dispatch to handle these men once we have ensured the Princess' safety. There shouldn't be any need for the Senshi to become involved."

Venus waved the comment off. "This is my home Captain, and I will not allow anyone to threaten the Princess while she is a guest here. Now follow my orders."

Jupiter began to protest yet again, however the look in Venus' eyes told her that any further arguments would be useless. "Very well Lady Venus. My men and I will continue on with the Princess." She replied, turning her horse.

"Thank you Captain. We will follow you shortly." The three women rode off towards the east. Jupiter watched them until she saw three colorful flashes of light near the top of one of the hills. "Good Luck," she whispered and then looked away.

Jupiter rode over to the Princess and her men. "Lady Venus and the others have to make a stop at a village over that rise." she said, pointing towards the hills. "We are to continue on to the palace." The four guardsmen nodded in response. An odd look crossed the Princess' face for a moment as she looked towards the hills, then she urged her horse forward. Jupiter took one last look in the direction that the others had ridden, and shook her head. _I have a bad feeling about this…_

***

"Fire soul!" Sailor Mars screamed as she let another attack fly. She had been right. A small group of bandits had been hiding over the ridge. While they were few in number, the men were still managing to give the three Senshi a difficult time.

"Mercury, how many remain?" She heard Venus call.

"Not counting the Mage, I'd say four, but he's putting up powerful shields…there could be more." Mercury began to type furiously on her small computer's keypad. 

"Mars, I thought you said this guy was an apprentice." Venus grunted as she took up a position next to the fire Senshi.

"I said he was probably an apprentice," she paused for a moment to duck under a green tinted energy blast. "Apprentices commonly fail to hide their presence completely. From that obvious energy output, I just assumed that whoever was performing the cloaking spell did not know better than to hide themselves, and was an apprentice." 

Venus, after firing a Crescent Beam, replied, "Well, I believe you assumed wrong." Mars just shrugged and began to prepare another attack.

***

Jupiter could not shake the sense of dread from the back of her mind as she rode just behind the Princess. Things simply did not feel right to the thunder Senshi. _"I sensed some danger concerning the journey but I do not know if it will befall the Princess or another in the party…_ _Just promise me that you will be careful…"_ Pluto's words from the other night kept running through her mind. _Is this it? Will one of the Inner Senshi be injured in this battle?_

"They're fighting something aren't they Captain?" A voice asked, snapping Jupiter from her thoughts.

"Pardon me, Majesty?"

"I asked if they were fighting, Captain. I may not, as of yet, be as powerful as my Mother, but I can sense it when my Senshi transform in such close quarters." The Princess replied, glancing over her shoulder at Jupiter.

Jupiter, who found that she could not lie when those bright blue eyes were upon her, simply nodded. She urged her horse forward so that she was now riding alongside the Princess. "They did not wish to worry you Majesty, but the truth is that Lady Mars sensed something just beyond the hills and the Senshi went to investigate the matter."

"I assumed as much…" the Princess bowed her head for a moment, "I wonder when they will realize that I will worry about them no matter what they choose to tell or not tell me about their battles?"          

"They only wish to perform their duty and protect you Majesty."

The Princess sighed. "Why do I need such protection? Why is it that my friends are the ones who must be placed in constant danger?" The Princess brought her horse to a stop. "Why does everyone always have to fight? Why can't there be peace? Can you answer me that Captain?"

Jupiter brought her horse to a stop as well, and turned to face the Princess. "I do not know why things are they way they are Majesty…I simply do not know."

***

Venus could not help but smile as the final thug fell to the ground. The men had put up a substantial fight, however in the long run they were no match for the Queen's Senshi. "Idiots…" she mumbled to herself as she stepped over one of the thug's bodies. "Mercury, is that all of them?"

The blue haired Senshi nodded. "Yes, he was the last." She pointed over towards the body Mars was currently examining. 

Venus joined Mars by the body. "The Mage?" 

Mars nodded. "By the amount of residual energy coming from the body, I would say so." She ran her hands over the corpse's gray uniform. "I don't recognize the uniform as belonging to any of the regional academies."

"It appears as if a new player has entered the game then." Venus sighed. "Just what we need…"

Mars stood and placed a hand on Venus' shoulder. "Whatever mystery that is here, we'll solve it together." Venus smiled and placed her hand over Mars'.

"Venus, Mars, I think we have a problem." Mercury called running towards the pair.

"What is it Mercury?" Venus sighed annoyed at the interruption.

"Well, my scanners are still picking up large amounts of energy."

"Residual energy from the battle, nothing more."

"That's what I thought at first as well. However, the energy is centered about ten miles from here."         

"What?" Venus cried. She looked at Mars for confirmation. 

Mars closed her eyes, and began to chant. After a few moments her violet eyes flew open. "By the gods, the Princess." That was all the confirmation the Senshi of Love needed. The three women broke in to an all out run in the direction of where they had left their horses.

***

The young guardsman tightened his grip on his sword. He glanced over his shoulder to see the Princess tending to the wounds of one of his comrades. They were lucky that they had stumbled across this cave. With only one way in or out it would be fairly easy to hold up here until the Captain returned with help or the Senshi arrived. He returned his gaze to the horizon and searched for any signs of help or their mysterious foe. 

He couldn't believe that this was happening. One expected this sort of thing in the outer regions where he was from. Being Neptunian by birth, the guardsman was accustomed to random attacks. He shook his head, _but an attack here so close to the imperial capital_, had he not just lived it he would not have believed it possible.

They had been riding quietly along when the Captain and the Princess had suddenly stopped. Being the first to notice, he stopped his own horse and called to the other guardsmen. Two of them immediately turned their horses towards him. The third, an older member of the guard named Dai, however, must not have heard his call for he kept riding forward. He was just about to call out again when a bit of movement off to the side of the trail caught his eye. 

Suddenly, a huge shadow crashed into Dai, sending the guardsman flying from his horse. He landed a few yards away with a sickening thud. The shadow was upon the fallen man in an instant. The young guardsman would never rid the sound of Dai's screams, as the shadow tore into his flesh, from his memory. Soon he noticed that other shadowy forms were slowly beginning to gather around the group. It appeared that the creature had brought some friends along for the ride. 

"It's an ambush! Protect the Princess!" The Captain cried, drawing her sword. The three remaining guardsmen followed suit. The four warriors surrounded the Princesses' horse and began an attempt to repel the shadow's onslaught.

They fought in place for what seemed like hours though only a few minutes passed. The guardsman's arms began to ache from the repeated swing of his sword. The black, foul smelling, blood of the shadow creatures covered his hands and body. Sweat trickled into his eyes, causing them to burn. Yet just when he thought he could not remain astride his horse any longer, the enemy seemed to withdraw. He and his comrades began to cheer; however, the Captain raised a hand to silence them.

"We haven't won the day yet. The enemy is merely regrouping. We have to find some cover and we must find it quickly."

"We could ride towards the village where Lady Venus and the others are." One of the other guards suggested.

A strange look crossed the Captain's face at the suggestion. She shook her head as she wiped the creature's blood off of her sword and on to her saddle blanket. "No…it's too far to ride, in too open terrain. We'd leave ourselves wide open to another attack. And the capital is still too far away for us to attempt an all out flight." She re-sheathed her sword. "We have to get the Princess to some cover and then wait for Lady Venus and the others to find us."

The Captain took a few moments to survey the area around them. "We'll ride for those hills." She finally said pointing south. "Hopefully, we can find a suitable place to keep the Princess until help can arrive." The group readied themselves to ride. One of the more experienced guardsmen took point while the Captain rode in the rear. "Raise the alert at the first sign of any trouble. The Princess' safety is of the utmost importance."

They rode for some time with no sign of the enemy. Soon it became evident that the Princess was beginning to tire. The Captain called the group to a halt. "Princess are you able to continue?" She asked. 

"I will be alright Captain. Just allow me a moment" 

The Captain nodded and signaled for the men to remain close to the Princess. "What are they up to?" She wondered aloud. Suddenly, she drew her sword. "Be mindful men," she called, "Something is here." 

"I don't see anything." One of the guards replied. The Princess fidgeted nervously in her saddle. The guard smiled at her. "Do not worry Highness, we will let nothing harm you."

The Captain turned her horse away from the group. "Something's coming." She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the group. "You men will have to ride on with the Princess."

"She's lost her mind," one of the others whispered. "There's nothing here."

Just then a low rumbling sound came to their ears. "What in Serenity's name is that?"

"That…" The Captain replied, "Is your cue to flee." 

"One of us will stay to assist you in what ever battle is to come then."

"No, the Princess needs all three of you to ensure her safety."

"Captain, I do not think this is wise." The Princess cried.

The Captain smiled softly and rode over to the Princess. "I know you are concerned for my well being Highness. But I must protect you at all costs. These are good men; they will keep you safe. I must hold off whatever is coming so that they can make their escape with you." The Captain placed a hand on the Princess' shoulder. "I promise by Jupiter, Highness, that I will join you as soon as I can."

The Guardsman whipped the sweat from his brow. As soon as the Captain had made her promise to the Princess, he and the remaining men rode off with the Princess. He did not know what had become of the Captain. He was ashamed to admit that he had been too afraid to look back once they had started to ride. 

They had only run in to one other shadow creature after leaving the Captain. They had dispatched it rather easily; only one man had been injured. The Princess was finishing to the tending of his wounds. The guardsman hoped help would come soon. They all needed rest and the Princess was acting strangely.

Not long after they had left the Captain, the Princess began to mutter to herself. The Guardsman couldn't be sure but it sounded as if she were repeating, "There's another Senshi…there's another Senshi." But that couldn't be. All of the Queen's Senshi in this region were with Lady Venus. Apparently the stress of the day was getting to the poor child. Help had to come soon. Surely the Senshi were on their way. 

***

Finding what was left of Dai the guardsman did little to calm Venus' fears for the Princess. Mars, Mercury, and she had reached their horses in record time after Mars' vision. After some hard riding they had reached what appeared to be the scene of a small skirmish. A few yards away they had found Dai. Venus wanted to retch at the memory of the sight. 

Now they were relying on Mars to track the Princess. Mars was very adept at sensing particular energy signatures. The Queen and the Princess left a unique magical trail wherever they went. There was a great deal of magical energy in the air but so far Mars was still able to home in on the Princess. They knew for certain that she was still alive. Her condition other than that, however, was unknown.  

 _If anything has happened to the Princess…_Venus gripped her horses' reigns tighter. She would not even consider the possibility of failure.  In the entire time that the royal house of Venus had been responsible for the personal security of the sovereign of Imperial Kingdom of the Moon, not one Serenity had been lost. Her Princess would not be the first.

"Mars, how far?"

"She's close. There is quite a bit of energy being used east of here, but I sense the Princess is further south."

"Mercury, is your computer picking anything up?"

"As far as I can tell the trail south is clear. The energy to the east concerns me though. It is extremely high. I've never seen anything like it outside of the Senshi or the Queen."

Venus considered the remark for a moment. "We will just have to be extra cautious then."

They rode on, as the sky grew darker. Mars signaled for them to dismount as they reached a small grouping of caves. "She is very close. In one of these caves I'd wager," she whispered.

"Good. Mercury, scan the area. If anything is here other than ourselves and the Princess I was to know about it."

Mercury's hands flew across her computers' keypad. After a few moments she pointed to the cave that was the furthest south of their position. "There are four people in that cave. I'm not picking up any other life forms in the area."

Venus nodded. "Mars, is one of them our girl?"

Mars smiled. "Yes. She's there."

"Alright lets go. I'll take the point. Mercury, you are just behind, and Mars you cover the rear. Keep your eyes open just because we haven't picked anything up does not mean that the enemy isn't waiting for us."

***

The sound of rocks scraping together was what first got his attention. The guardsman drew his sword. "Princess, go to the rear of the cave. Stay behind us no matter what." He could hear footsteps now and they were getting closer. The other two men stood and drew their swords as well. 

A shadow fell across the mouth of the cave. "Protect the Princess."

"Hold Guardsman!" A familiar voice called. Senshi Venus stepped into the cave. 

The guardsman released the breath he didn't even realize that he was holding. "Lady Venus…thank Serenity!"

"Where is the Princess? Is she harmed?"

"I am fine Venus. But you must help the other Senshi."

"Other Senshi? Highness, Mercury and Mars are right behind me." 

"No, the other Senshi. You have to help her. She's fighting something all by herself out there."

Venus turned towards the guardsman. "Are you certain that she did not hurt her head." The men looked just as confused as she felt. "Where is the Captain?"

"The Captain sensed something on the path and remained behind to face it while we rode on with the Princess."

"What?" Venus turned to Mercury who had now entered the cave and had begun to check the Princess for any injuries. "Mercury how is she?"

"Remarkably well, considering what she must have seen."

"Don't talk about me like I am not here." The Princess huffed "Venus, listen to me there is another Senshi out there that needs help.

Venus motioned for Mercury to follow her out of the cave. They met Mars where she was standing lookout just outside. "When I get my hands on that Captain…" Venus grumbled.

"You will thank her for ensuring the Princess' safety," Mercury finished.

Venus ignored the comment. "Imagine leaving the Princess under the care of just three guards. When there is so much evil in the air…"

"She did what she thought was best I'm sure love," Mars replied. "Now, the question is where is the Captain."

"And why does the Princess keep insisting that there is another Senshi?" Mercury added.

"Because there is another Senshi." 

"Princess, you should remain inside the cave."

"Venus, I have been in that cave for hours. It smells. Besides I am not going anywhere until you go and help the other Senshi."

"Your highness we are all right here, there are no other Senshi on planet."

"Do I have to order you to do as I wish Senshi Venus?"

Venus' jaw clenched. She really hated it when the Princess pulled rank. "No, Highness. It is just that I believe that the stress of the day's events has caused you to become confused."

"I am not confused. I can sense when the Senshi transform and I felt four transformations today. Four, which means that there is another Senshi on planet."

"But Serenity…"

"Quiet!" Mars called cutting the argument short. "Something is coming." Venus and Mercury stepped in front of the Princess. A small hunched over form was slowly making its way towards them. Occasionally, a spark of green tinged electricity would flow out from the form and into the ground or sky.

"What is that?" The Princess whispered.

"Energy readings are weak." Mercury breathed.

 The figure stopped moving, and appeared to look up at them. "Get ready." Venus ordered.

"Princess…" the figure croaked and then fell to the ground.

The three Senshi looked at one another and the rushed to the figure. "Careful," Mercury cautioned as they came up to the figure, which appeared to be a severely injured woman,  "The electricity coming off of her body is weak but it would still give you quite a shock."  

"What is she wearing?" Mars asked. "It looks like our battle gear, but the colors are all wrong." Venus knelt down and turned the woman over, and received a shock of her own.

"See I told you," The Princess piped up from behind the group, "there was another Senshi." 

"Not only that, highness," Mars added. "But it looks as if our Captain has quite a bit of explaining to do…"


	3. Part III

Part III

"The entire situation is an outrage," Venus fumed as she stalked back and forth across her chambers. After discovering the Captain, no Venus quickly corrected herself, _Sailor Jupiter_ the Senshi had made sure that the Princess was returned to the capital as soon as possible. Once within the castle Jupiter was taken to the medical wing and stabilized. It was then decided that the Princess would be safest back on the moon. They had arranged their departure within moments of the decision.  Once they had arrived on the moon Jupiter had been taken to the medical chambers in order to receive further attention and Luna had told the Senshi all she knew of the Outer Senshi's reasons for being undercover. That had been two days ago, and Venus was still livid.

"I do not need some outsider coming in and spying on me in order to make certain that I do my job. My family has protected five Serenities. I know how to do my duty…it is in my very blood." Venus kicked a nearby chair to prove her point.

"Calm down Venus." 

"Mars, I can not calm down. An outsider is trying to replace us. Why are you of all people so calm about this? I would have expected you to have turned that usurper's chambers to ash by now. The Queen clearly has no faith in us. Have you no pride?"

Mars tried to ignore the rising ire that Venus' comments stirred within her. "Of course I am upset. I know my duty and I do it very well. However, I feel that there are more pressing issues at hand."

"Such as?"

"Our new enemy for one. Anything that is powerful enough to do that much damage to a Senshi…" Mars shuddered at the thought. Jupiter's injuries had been severe. She regained consciousness only once while they were still on Venus and had not awakened since. _If that had been the Princess or Venus…_ She had to take a deep breath to keep from shuddering.  

Venus noticed the change in Mars' demeanor. She stopped pacing and sat down beside her. Mars smiled and took Venus' hand, "Which leads me to my other concern. Regardless of how she found herself among us, there is an injured Senshi in the palace." 

Venus sighed and squeezed Mars' hand. "I forgot about that didn't I?" 

Mars nodded. "At this point I do not care why she is here. She's a Senshi. One of us, and I simply want her to be alright."

"She will be. The Capt… Jupiter has always struck me as being very strong. Besides remember the stories Luna used to tell us when we were little about all the royal houses." Venus straightened her shoulders and held her head up in her best Luna impression, "_The House of Jupiter is one of great strength…_"

"…the thunder Senshi have lightning for blood." Mars finished. "You actually were listening in class."

Laughing Venus answered, "I was interested in the other planets. Jupiter was always particularly interesting.  We do not have storms on Venus you know."

"I know," Mars replied resting her head on Venus' shoulder. "If that had been you…"

"Shh, now. It was not and will not ever be me. I will not leave you and I will not leave our Princess."

"Promise?"

"I swear it."

"Good, because I would hunt you through the depths of tarturus if you ever left me." She smiled softly, " Now have you calmed down enough to go and check on our fellow Senshi?"

"Yes. I would, however, like to go and speak with the Queen first. I want an explanation from her."  Venus rose and held out her hand to Mars. "Milady"

"Don't start."

"Yes mam." 

***

Pluto concentrated on the pale face of the woman in the bed before her. She had sensed the danger coming. Had even broken the code and warned Jupiter of it, though in a round about way, and yet it still came to this. For not the first time since taking upon the mantle of time guardian, she cursed her lot in life. Always watching, never being able to directly act. Or at least not when it mattered.

Oh how it had mattered this time. When she had first seen this scene through the gate she had wanted to run to Jupiter and take her home to Uranus. But duty slapped her in the face. She was bound to the gate by her very blood and with that came the code that went with being its protector. She could not give up that code just as she knew Jupiter would never desert their princess. 

But then again she had acted. She had given Jupiter a small notice of the danger to come. Only the guardian and the Queen were to know the secrets of the gate. It was a law that had been in place since the beginning. It like the other taboos was not to be broken. 

_But the rule that cannot be broken must surely be bent. _A voice whispered had whispered in her mind. She had bent the law. Taken fate into her own hands and gone to the ball that evening.  The thought that plagued her was why.

_Why now?_ She had been the time guardian for several years now. She had seen struggle after struggle. She had even watched the deaths of three senshi through the gate without acting. She had watched the end of the line of Earth Senshi without acting, and she had been much younger and weaker then. _Why was this time different?_ One glance at the bed before her told her why.

She had developed feelings for Jupiter and that was a problem. A rather large problem. To be the time guardian was to be alone. But when she was with the thunder senshi Pluto felt something. The loneliness that she was prepared to endure as part of her duty went away. When she had discovered that Jupiter had misled her it had felt as if she had been struck. When they had danced she felt as if she could fly. For Pluto to even feel this way much less to have acted upon it was dangerous. 

_To be time guardian is to be alone_, she had whispered that to herself like a mantra while she watched Jupiter struggle with the shadow beast through the gate. She had wanted to go to Venus and fight along side her fellow Outer Senshi, but her duty held her back.  She could not, would not interfere again.  And here she sat across from the results of her dedication to duty. 

She took one of Jupiter's heavily bandaged hands into her own. "I did this," she whispered. "I could have stopped it if only…"

She closed her eyes and sighed. She felt so powerless. She laughed. Her powers were second to only the royal family and the sleeping senshi, and _she_ felt powerless. It really was ironic. 

"How could I have let this happen to me?" It wasn't as if she were a silly schoolgirl who could afford the luxury of romance. She had a duty; there was no room for such trivial things.  Her only comfort was that there was no possible way that Jupiter could ever return her feelings. 

At a weak moment she had searched the gate for any sign that Jupiter felt anything more than friendship for her and had seen nothing. Rather every time she had begun to get an image through the gate concerning the matter something distorted it. "There was nothing to see," she told herself.

_And there won't be anything to see, ever… _she thought. The time guardian had no room in her life for silly attachments. There was only duty, only the gate, nothing more.  

_To be time guardian is to be alone... _That had been the way of things since the beginning. Each Pluto was called after the death of the one before. Unlike the other senshi, there was no family line of ascension.  When the old Pluto died the high priests of the planet would go in search of the next. When she was found she would be taken to the palace and given the garnet orb, which would endow her with the knowledge and powers of those who had come before her.

That was the way it had been with her and the way it would be for the girl who came after. Pluto pitied that girl.  She now knew the price of duty. The one who followed, surely would be an innocent, as she herself was when she was called, and would not realize the heavy burden that fate had crafted for her. She glanced at the figure on the bed once more.  

The girl wouldn't possibly understand that which she would sacrifice in the name of duty. There was no way that anyone ever truly could. She brought Jupiter's bandaged hand to her lips and then gently placed it upon the bed again. She stood and walked to the small chamber's only window. " I will not be this weak again." 

_To be time guardian is to be alone..._

***

Mercury went over the readings she had collected during the skirmish on Venus yet again. "There must be something that I am missing," she sighed.  

_Missing things_…Mercury seemed to be doing a great deal of that lately.  Why hadn't she picked up on the fact that there was something different about the Captain? How could there have been another Senshi among them for so long without her suspecting a thing? Why didn't she see the ambush coming? 

Mercury prided herself on the power of her mind. She held no false illusions about her combat prowess. She was not a warrior of Venus' or Mars' stature.  She was the strategist. They relied on her to pick up on the little details and use them to form a battle plan. They relied on her powers of deduction to keep mistakes like the attack on the Princess from happening. She had failed them. 

True, the Princess was safe. But things should have never gone that far in the first place. A guardsman was dead, another injured, and a Senshi lay near death in the medical wing.  Mercury could not help but feel as if she were as much to blame for this turn of events as the mage and the shadow creatures he had conjured. If only she had picked up on the additional energy signal sooner. Or if she had agreed with the Captain when she had suggested that the group remain together, maybe things would have turned out differently. 

One could live their entire life in maybes; it did not change matters. Nothing could. She had failed. For once her mind had not been enough to see them through safely.

"I am weak." Was that the reason the Queen had felt it necessary to place one of the Outer Senshi on the moon? Was it that the Inner core was too weak to properly perform their duty? Had the Queen lost faith in them?

Mercury sighed and began to rub her temples. The combination of this line of thought and the mere four hours of sleep she had had in the past forty-eight was wearing on her.  "I can't continue like this." She had to get some rest and then she needed to go and speak with the Queen. She would never be rid of her doubts until she did so. 

She rose and began to make her way towards her bedchamber when a sound from her computer caught her attention. One glance at the screen made her blood run cold.  She quickly scooped the computer up and activated her communicator as she ran out the door. 

"Venus, you and Mars better meet me in the south wing. It seems we have intruders."

***

She was going to kill. That bitch's blood was going to coat her hands. It did not matter that her target was one of the most powerful beings in the empire. She would find a way. She glanced at her companion and knew that they would find a way. 

Getting into the palace was far easier than she had imagined. They had known the general layout of the palace but had not known the whereabouts of their target. A little time spent in a nearby pub by her partner had solved that problem. The proper amount of persuasion and the guards had told them everything they needed to know. "Fools…" she muttered under her breath. She had no clue why the royal family had lived so long if this were the way palace security was normally handled. Of course leadership of the palace guard was up in the air at the moment due to recent events. She unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword.

This was all that bitch's fault. Meddling in other's affairs. Who gave her the right to play with people's lives in this way?  How was it that she could decide who lived and who died? It wasn't right.  She would make her pay!

No one harmed her family and went unpunished. She couldn't help but smile as her companion signaled that they were close to their destination. She would have that bitch's broken body at her feet by the end of the day. 

***

Venus and Mars were about to be announced to the Queen when they received Mercury's transmission. "They're at the completely opposite end of the palace," Venus cried as she and Mars broke into a run.

'We'll get there," Mars assured her. "Mercury," she called activating her communicator, "where are they headed?"

"Looks like the medical wing."

Venus paled slightly, "Is there any one guarding the medical wing?"

"Hold on a moment," Mercury replied. "Two guards are at the entrance to the wing, and by the looks of it the only other occupants are Jupiter and…that's strange…Ambassador Meioh."

Venus smiled, "I knew there was something there."

"Not the time love," Mars huffed. "Mercury can you tell if the intruders have made it to the wing yet?"

"It's hard to tell, other than the initial burst of energy that they used to slip inside the palace they haven't drawn much attention to themselves."    

Mars and Venus slowed their pace slightly to keep from colliding in to Mercury as they reached the main entryway of the palace at the same time.  "We have to hurry, " Mercury cried snapping the lid to her computer shut. "I can't tell how close they are and if the residual energy from when they entered the palace is any indication, these are some extremely powerful beings we're dealing with."

Mars nodded, "I can sense something now.  Two energy signatures faint… they're good… I should have been able to pick up on them when they came onto the grounds yet this is the first time I've felt them." Their pace increased as they rounded a corner.

"Maybe they're related to the group from Venus."

"This feels different. Familiar somehow."

"Well, I don't like it. We only have two guards standing between a noble, an injured Senshi and Serenity knows what."  Venus added, sidestepping a courtier who had wandered into the hallway before them. "Damn people don't you know there's an emergency situation here! How stupid could you possibly be wandering around the palace like a fool when there's intruders in the palace..."

"Again, not the time love…"

***

This was it; beyond that door was her target.  _Maybe I'll kill her slow…make her suffer._ Everything had gone according to plan. The security for the medical wing had been a joke. Her partner had taken the guards out without breaking a sweat. They hadn't had time to raise an alarm. The target wouldn't either.

The shift change for the guards wouldn't be for another two hours. And as far as she could tell they had cloaked themselves efficiently enough so that they could complete their mission, collect what was theirs and be gone before the Senshi even knew what had happened. Granted, magic was neither she, nor her partner's strong suit but for what they had paid a local mage for this cloaking spell it had damn sure better work.  She assumed it did since she and her companion were now standing within feet of their target with no Senshi and no guards to be seen.

"It's time," her partner whispered.

She only nodded in reply as the ground began to shake.

***

Pluto knew they had arrived even before the ground began to tremble. "So this is my penance," she sighed. She had imagined that this would happen. Knew that her sin would not go unpunished. Had seen it in the gate of course. She was only surprised at how swiftly they had arrived. "How did they discover it so quickly?" Yet again it seemed that the gate was withholding information from its master.

The trembling increased. Pluto turned towards the door to the chamber. It was locked, she hadn't wanted any one to walk in on her time with Jupiter, but it would not remain that way for long.

The doors to the chamber flew open with a burst of golden light. Pluto positioned herself between the door and the bed. _She's not in her right mind and I don't want Jupiter to be hurt further if she looses control._

"You heartless bitch!"  Shouted a rather tall blonde woman who strode through the broken doors, a shorter aqua haired woman following just a few steps behind.

"Uranus, Neptune how was your trip?"

***

"By the gods!" Venus cried as the ground began to shake. "What's happening?"

"Energy's picked up."

"Yes, Mars I can tell. But thank you for stating th..."

"I don't like this. Its too much, perhaps we should evacuate the royal family," Mercury interrupted.

"There's no time. We'll just have to end it here."

The three Senshi slid to a stop at the doors to the medical wing. Two guardsmen lay on the ground by the door. Mercury knelt beside them and reactivated her computer. "They're just stunned. You two go on ahead. I'll try and revive them and then get word to the Queen."

"Right," Venus answered "Mercury, if any one tries to come through this door…"

"I will die before they reach the Queen."

Venus nodded in reply and then she and Mars entered the medical wing.

Mars pointed down the corridor, "Her room is on the end." 

"Right then," Venus replied "Lets go show these intruders why it's not nice to come to our palace uninvited."

They swiftly made their way to the room. Through the gaping hole that was once its door they could see a man holding the Ambassador by the throat against the far wall. A woman was leaning over Jupiter's bed. Venus couldn't tell what she was doing. 

She motioned to Mars to get into position. They were going in. She pointed towards the woman and back at Mars, who nodded in understanding. She took a deep breath and the stepped into the room.

"Put the Ambassador down now!" Venus ordered.

The man glanced over his shoulder, and then looked back at the Ambassador. "Ambassador? I see…you just lie to everyone don't you?"

"Put her down."

"Or what little girl? What will you do to stop me from snapping her neck right now?"

"Me?" Venus shrugged, "Nothing." The man turned to look at her confusion passing over his features. She inclined her head towards Mars, whose fingers were already being licked by red and violet flames. "But Mars here will roast your girlfriend."

For the first time the woman by the bed acknowledged their presence. She rose from where she was leaning over Jupiter and stretched her arms out before her. Venus could almost swear that in that instant the room became colder and began to smell salty, like the sea at night. 

The woman's hands took on an aqua colored glow. "She can try…"

Rage welled up within Venus. First they break into her home, then they attack the guards, assault one of the Queen's advisors, and now they had the gall to threaten Mars. "Fine," she growled. She pointed her finger at the man. _He can't strangle the Ambassador if he's missing his arms._

"Venus crescent bea…"

A brilliant flash of white light interrupted Venus' attack. The Queen herself was now standing to the man's left. "All of you stand down!"

"But Majesty…"

"Now Venus!" 

Venus complied with the order, as did Mars and surprisingly the woman by the bed dropped her hands as well.

The man however seemed to tighten his hold on the Ambassador. The Queen placed her hand on his shoulder. "Uranus, I know you're angry. But you have to let Pluto go. I'm as much to blame for all this as she. When you are done with her will you seek to kill me as well?"

_Uranus? Pluto? What? _Venus glanced at Mars who seemed to be just as confused.

"No Majesty," the man replied, "never." He released the Ambassador who slid down the wall gasping for air. "I am weak," he sighed, dropping his arms.

Just then Mercury ran into the room. "Venus, I can't reach the Queen..." She stopped and looked around the room. "Oh Majesty, there you are."

"Good now that we're all here…" The Queen glanced behind Mercury and into the hallway. "You can come in now Serenity." The Princess slowly walked into the room. Mars and Venus unconsciously slipped into flanking positions around her.

"As I was saying, now that we're all here I believe some introductions and explanations are in order."

Author's note: Yes, I know that it has been far too long since I updated. Blame work and grad school…I certainly do! Well, as you can probably tell…if anyone is still reading this…this story is taking longer to write than I originally thought and is going to be much longer than I originally thought. I promise I will finish it though. I have to know what happens! 


	4. Part IV

Guess who's back…back again… Yes, at last I bring you Part Four of Sacrifices. I'd just like to take a brief moment to thank everyone that has dropped a review…you make this little coconut feel special…the good kind…and validated, my humble attempts at writing make someone happy! It's enough to make me fall outta my tree and roll around in the dirt from the sheer joy of it. Hmmmm…perhaps I'm taking this whole coconut thing too far…nah!

 Any way, I'm going to try and get updates out more quickly, just because now I know that there are folks out there who are into this whole twisted tale, and I know how impatient I can get when waiting for the next chapter of my favorite stories to come out. Speaking of waiting, this note has probably gone on far too long for those of you who are actually reading it, so without further ado I present to the three of you Part Four of Sacrifices…enjoy!

Part IV

The Queen surveyed everyone in the room, "As I was saying, now that we're all here I believe some introductions and explanations are in order."

"First and foremost, I believe that we should see each other in our true forms." She turned towards the man and aqua haired woman. "Uranus, Neptune." The two nodded. In a flash of light two Senshi emerged.

"More of the Outer Senshi highness?" Mars asked.

"Yes," She gestured towards the aqua haired woman. "This is Sailor Neptune, Princess of Neptune, Senshi of the Depths, and holder of the Aqua Mirror." Sailor Neptune bowed at the end of the introduction.

"And this is Sailor Uranus, Princess of Uranus, Senshi of the Skies, and holder of the Space Sword." 

"A pleasure to meet you," Venus began making a bow of her own, forgetting her earlier anger as her courtly manners kicked in. "Wait, if you two are Senshi then why did you sneak in here and attack the guards. Why did you try to kill the Ambassador?" She turned to point to Ambassador Meioh, whom Mercury was helping to stand, "Wait…Don't tell me she's the Time Guardian, Sailor Pluto?"

"Correct…" the Ambassador replied. "I don't believe that I'm up to transforming at the moment however."

The Queen glanced from Pluto to Uranus and then at Pluto's neck, which was already turning violet. "Perfectly understandable under the circumstances, take your time."

"Thank you, Majesty."

Venus pointed towards Uranus and Neptune, "You still haven't answered my questions."

Uranus shrugged and suddenly began to find the wall to her left extremely interesting. Neptune looked to her partner and then to the expectant leader of the Inner Senshi. "You must pardon Uranus, her temper has gotten the better of her."

"Really? Her temper knocked out the guards at the entrance to this wing with water magic?" Mercury asked.

Neptune smiled, "It got the better of the both of us, I suppose. You see we were not aware of the fact that Jupiter was here on the moon until recently."

"We had been told," this comment was punctuated with a glare in Pluto's direction, "that Jupiter had been called to Io Castle on urgent business. As she is still in name at least the head of Jupiter's royal family we thought nothing of it. We had thought it strange that Jupiter had left Titan without saying farewell, but…" Neptune blushed slightly, "we soon became too involved in other matters to suspect that anything was amiss."

"Two weeks ago there was a disturbance on one of the moons near my home. Uranus came to aid me yet even with her assistance the battle was a difficult one. Pluto arrived as we fought and helped us finally overcome the enemy. Again this is nothing unusual. However, Pluto began to act strangely once she noticed that Uranus was unharmed. She began to question Uranus about her health. With each answer Pluto seemed to become more and more agitated."

"Before we could ask Pluto about her strange attitude, she told us that she was late for an appointment and transported from the area. Naturally, we began to wonder what was causing our friend's strange behavior, but we decided to leave things alone. We still trusted Pluto at that point and thought that she would tell us what was troubling her in her own time"

"On her way back home Uranus stopped by castle Io to inquire of Jupiter's progress. What she discovered only served to further confuse the both of us. The reining monarch, Jupiter's uncle, had not seen his niece in months nor had he sent for her. He had no idea where she was."

"Naturally, Uranus became worried. Why would Pluto have lied to us about Jupiter's departure? She returned to Neptune as soon as she possibly could to seek my council. I called on my talisman, the Aqua Mirror to show us Jupiter's whereabouts."

"The mirror showed Jupiter fighting something and losing. We could see that her body was battered. Her battle uniform was torn. Her hands looked to be badly burned and yet she fought on. Then the image changed and we could still see Jupiter but her image was being reflected through the Gates of Time and Pluto was simply standing there watching her being beaten half to death."

"Damn bitch was letting her die." Uranus growled, breaking her silence. "She was doing nothing! Just watching that thing hurting my family! She had to pay!" Neptune placed a hand on Uranus' shoulder in attempt to calm her. 

"The image in the mirror distorted before we could see the outcome of the battle but from what we did see we could tell that Jupiter needed our help. We left for Venus immediately, but by the time we arrived you had already brought Jupiter back here."

"We knew that Pluto would show up sooner or later so we bided our time. We found a mage who promised us that for the right price he could give us a spell that would cloak our movements so well that even the Senshi would not be able to discover our entry into the palace."

"I'd ask for my gold back." Mars interjected.

"Indeed, as it were we paid the mage for the spell and then gathered information on the guard shifts at a nearby pub. We discovered when the lightest number of guards would be stationed at the medical wing and we also learned when the station changes would occur. When the time was right we used the spell we were given to enter the palace and well, you know the rest." 

"But why was Jupiter brought here to begin with Majesty?" Mercury asked.

The Queen sighed, "I suppose I do owe all of you answers. Serenity?" she called.

"Yes, Mama?"

"I need to speak to the Senshi alone for a moment. Would you stay here with Jupiter in case she awakens?"

"Of course I will Mama, but…" Serenity motioned for her mother to come closer. When the Queen was within whispering distance she asked, "Can I play with the new Senshi later?"

The Queen couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's youthful energy. "I think they would like that very much dear." The Queen patted her daughter on the head affectionately and then addressed the other occupants of the room. "This discussion is not meant for a sick room. If you would all follow me we will continue this in my chambers."

***

Once the group was gathered in her private chambers the Queen began her tale. "Events of late have been worrying me. While our negotiations with Earth have been going very well, I can sense darkness on the horizon. These random disturbances throughout the kingdom have been growing more frequent as time has passed. I believe that there is a connection between the negotiations and these disturbances. "

"I have discovered that several attempts have been made on the life of the Earth's Prince Endymion. Naturally, his family is worried, so much so in fact that they have created a special honor guard not unlike our own Senshi to watch over the Prince."

"What does that have to do with Jupiter, Majesty?" Mercury inquired.

"I could see the logic in increased security. These are troubling times and while I believe that you girls," the Queen motioned towards the Inner Core, "are quite capable…" This statement was met with a snort from Uranus, whom the Queen gave a warning glance. "You are capable of performing your duties in regards to my daughter's protection, yet I felt that an extra set of eyes about the palace might assist us in flushing out this threat more speedily."

"I sent Pluto to castle Titan to speak with Uranus and bring her back to the palace to go undercover as it were."

"Me, Majesty? But then why did I not know of all of this?"

"Because Jupiter, out of concern for yourself and Neptune, took it upon herself to mislead Pluto about the extent of the injuries you sustained while confronting an enemy while you were carrying out a mission on Saturn and take your place. Naturally, neither Pluto nor myself were overly pleased once we discovered Jupiter's deception but by then she was already established as the new Captain of the Guard and there was nothing we could do."   

"So this is all my fault," Uranus sighed running a shaky hand through her hair, "if only I had been more careful when we encountered that creature…"

"This isn't anyone's fault. Well, not anyone here at least." Mars replied. "Destiny has a hand in each of our lives. Jupiter came in your place because she was meant to, because that was the path that fate had chosen for her."

"Very true Mars," The Queen added. "If any of you wish to assign blame then place it upon the shoulders of our new enemies."

"Speaking of these enemies, do you have any idea of who could be behind all of this Majesty?"

"Yes, Mercury I do. I believe that the creature Jupiter faced was one of the seven." 

"What?"

"Those are only fairy stories…"

"They can't be real!"

"Why can't they? There were once those who said magic was only a story." The Queen shook her head, "We've become too complacent. Too accustomed to our lives here. It seems we have forgotten the old ways. What you call fairy stories are in reality the history of our people. Granted, some of the facts have been muddled over the centuries but the underlying truth of the tales is very real." She looked around the room, "The time has come for you to know that truth."

Queen Serenity raised her right hand in to the air. With a flick of her wrist her scepter appeared. "Pluto if you are well enough to assist me?"

Pluto nodded as the time staff appeared in her hands and then raised the garnet orb. 

"Senshi, allow me to take you back to the beginnings of our empire." In a flash of light the palace vanished. The Senshi found themselves in a barren waste.

"Is this the moon?" Venus asked.

"Yes, before the first Serenity settled here, the moon was an empty place. Only the goddess Selene and her sister Hecate walked this land." A woman who looked very much like the Queen then appeared before them. Another figure, a woman with long dark hair and robes the color of pitch stood just behind her.  "Unlike the other gods, the sisters had no people of their own. They did however, hold a sacred duty." The Earth rose in to the sky above them. "The sisters were the guardians of the Earth and its people."

The scene around them shifted again and the Senshi found themselves on a lush green meadow. 

"One night while Selene was watching over things, she noticed a young Shepard tending his flock. He was a youth of surpassing beauty. It was said that his beauty rivaled that of the gods. When she saw him Selene was immediately struck by love."

The Senshi watched as Selene and the young man kissed. 

"However, due to some rather unfortunate instances, the gods some time before had made a pact never to become involved with mortals. If Selene wished to remain by her beloved's side she would have to give up her godhood."

"Selene struggled with the decision. Could she give up her sacred duty? Could she give up the man that she loved? She could not choose. Finally, it was her sister Hecate who pressed her to grasp what she herself could not have, love."

The two sisters stood in the meadow. The Shepard stood just by them. They embraced and Selene began to glow. When Hecate released her, she fell back into the Shepard's arms. Hecate smiled sadly and then disappeared.

"Selene spent many happy years with her Shepard as Hecate watched over them from above. As the years passed the couple was blessed with many children. Strangely, Selene and her children did not age as quickly as the people around them."

"A residual effect of her godhood?" Mercury asked.

"Yes, Selene and all of her descendants were blessed with unusually long lives. Yet the Shepard was still a mortal and aged as mortals do. One day he fell ill. Selene and her children dedicated every waking moment tending to him, but his condition would not improve."

The scene shifted once again and the Senshi watched as Selene bent over a bed running a cloth over the Shepard's brow. Selene handed the cloth to one of the children and then left the room. The scene shifted yet again and Selene was standing at a crossroads.

"Selene called upon her sister for help. She begged Hecate to use her powers to cure the Shepard. But Hecate refused, reminding Selene that all mortals must die. Selene raged and beat her fists against her sister's chest. She cursed death, the gods and Hecate herself. She raged and raged until finally she fell exhausted at Hecate's feet."

"Unable to witness her sister's pain any longer Hecate relented and agreed to do what she could for the Shepard. While she could not defeat death entirely she could postpone it. And so Hecate bestowed a portion of her immortality upon the Shepard. This gift however came with a price as it severely weakened Hecate."

The Senshi suddenly found themselves once again on the moon. 

"Years later dark forces began to circle the Earth. Seven demon lords combined their forces to form a great army. When this army marched upon the moon Hecate was there to meet them. Hecate fought valiantly but in her weakened state she was eventually overwhelmed and sealed away. Without Hecate to defend it the Earth was soon invaded by these forces."

"Selene, witnessing the chaos upon the Earth, knew that her sister had fallen. She blamed herself. Alone and with no powers she walked out into the night to face the darkness. She too fell."

"Her oldest daughter went out looking for her. When she found her mother's broken body she prayed to the gods for the power to avenge Selene and to protect the world she so loved. A force older than Selene, Hecate and their kin took pity on the girl and granted her the power to drive the darkness away from the Earth. The demon lords though not killed, were sealed away across the galaxy."

"With power also came the knowledge that darkness would never truly be destroyed, for the light must always be balanced by the shadow. So the girl gathered her remaining family and settled here on the moon in order to watch over the Earth as her mother and Hecate had once done. The other gods in honor of the fallen sisters each selected their own chosen warrior and sent them to stand with the girl to protect her as she protected the Earth."

"To thank the girl for banishing the evil presence from their realm one of the oldest noble families of the Earth pledged their support to her cause. They were a family with powerful magic, and they decreed that the eldest daughter of their clan would stand with the god's chosen as the representative of Earth." 

"Two of the chosen were assigned special tasks. She who was blessed by the Lord Pluto was placed as sentry over the gates of time. She who was blessed by Lord Saturn, the oldest of the gods, was a being so powerful that she agreed to sleep only to awaken in times of great peril to the kingdom. Thus, Queen Serenity the first and the Moon Kingdom were born."

***

Once again the Senshi found themselves back in the palace. "Do we know where the demons were sent when they were sealed Majesty?" Mars asked.

"No, the stories only say that they were sealed they never say where or how."

"But you believe that someone has discovered at least one of the seven and has released it?"

"It is no mere belief, it is a certainty." Pluto replied. "How this has come to pass I do not know but the seven are being released."

"All of them?"

"Not all yet but there is at least another in addition to the creature Jupiter fought who has been freed."

"How could you let this happen? Aren't you supposed to stop these things from happening? Isn't that why you have the power to see the future?" Venus asked, her anger rising again.

"I do not see the future, only possibilities."

"Then how can you be sure that two of the seven have been freed already?"

"Because while I was, as Neptune so eloquently put it, watching Jupiter being…being beaten half to death I could also hear what was being said during the battle. The creature taunted Jupiter, it told her that it's Dark Queen would soon free the five remaining demons and then hell would be unleashed on the shining kingdom and its subjects, that he and his brethren would feast on the flesh of the Moon Queen just as his mistress had…well, Jupiter ripped the creature's left arm from its body at that point and it didn't have the opportunity to finish." 

"That's our Jupiter for you, always letting her temper get the better of her." Uranus chuckled.

"You're one to talk lady." Venus replied.

"I've had enough of you girl." Uranus growled stepping into Venus' personal space. Venus leveled her gaze and stepped toward Uranus.

"Oh really?"

"Really. Its your fault we're here anyway."

"My fault?"

"Yes, if you weren't such a pathetic excuse for a guardian then the Queen never would have felt it necessary to bring Jupiter here in the first place."

"I'll show you pathetic you…"

"Venus, Uranus enough! If the two of you insist on continuing to squabble like children then I will have you both thrown in the deepest darkest dungeon that I can find." The Queen told the two Senshi who immediately backed away from each other.

"Now, Pluto has given us some vital information. Only two of the seven are free, one of which is severely injured. And we know that they are not freeing themselves on their own, someone is doing it for them."

"So what do we do now?" Mars asked.

"We find out more. Mercury, I want you and Venus to go back to the area where Jupiter fought the creature and collect energy readings, let us see if there is anything there that can lead us to the source of this mess."

"Yes, Majesty." Mercury and Venus replied.

"Mars, Neptune I want the two of you to begin contacting the allied planets and see if anyone has heard anything about this new faction or the awakening of the seven."

"I was due to travel with Phobos and Deimos to meet with Sailor Coronis once we returned from the Princess' tour of the kingdom. I can start with her." Mars stated.

"And I can see what I can find on the outer rim." Neptune added.

"Good, Uranus you will remain here with Jupiter, she will need to see a familiar face when she awakens."

"But Majesty shouldn't I…"

"Uranus, you will remain here for now."

"Yes, Majesty."

"Pluto, return to the gate and see if you can find anything within your possibilities which might enlighten us on the nature of our new enemy."

"I'll leave at once." Pluto replied and then disappeared in a flash of light.

"Very well, I suggest that the rest of you be off soon as well. There is much to be done and I fear that there is not much time to do it in."

Note: Another four months another chapter. Hope it was worth the wait! I liked it even if there was no mushy stuff and very little action. But I am a wee bit biased. 

Oh…Uranus was pissed. By the way I do not own Uranus pissed or otherwise. Though I wish I did, much like all her other fan girls I'm sure. I don't own anything really. So don't sue! I'd hate to have to sell off all of my anime in order to pay legal fees. 


End file.
